Economic Development 2024: TELLY TUCKER

Tucker previously was director of Arlington Economic Development, and also served five years as director of economic development for Danville before returning to Southern Virginia in May 2022 to head  IALR, a regional hub for advanced manufacturing training initiatives and economic development.

In February, IALR launched its Naval Aviation School for Additive Manufacturing, a six-week program for active-duty U.S. Navy and Marine Corps maintenance personnel. Eighty-seven students comprising its 11th cohort graduated from the institute’s Accelerated Training in Defense Manufacturing program, which trains workers for defense industry manufacturing jobs, in June. Other IALR initiatives include Next generation of Work (NOW), which gives teams of high school students real-world experience in working on solutions to problems for area businesses.

Tucker started his career teaching Spanish and math to middle school students in Lynchburg, where he grew up, before transitioning to economic development. During his time leading Danville economic development, Tucker helped attract step-van manufacturer Morgan Olson and vertical agriculture producer AeroFarms.

He graduated from James Madison University with a bachelor’s degree in international business and Spanish.